The Green Edit: beware the microplastics

BY Imelda Burke |
21 February 2014

There are concerns about the environmental impact of 'microplastics' used in some exfoliating scrubs Photo: Alamy

Ever wondered what those helpful little exfoliating beads in your face scrub are? Chances are many of us haven't, but new legislation being introduced in the USA may cause you to pause for a minute next time you reach for your face scrub.

While many brands turn to powdered nutshells, almond meal, salt, sugar or jojoba beads to polish skin clean, others use small plastic particles for their abrasive qualities. Natural skincare fans may shun the use of these 'microplastics' for ingredients considerations, but the main concern being voiced by environmentalists is the effect these particles have on waterways.

As
reported in the New York Times,
concerns have arisen over these tiny microplastic particles slipping through the filtering systems at wastewater treatment plants and finding their way into rivers and oceans, posing more of a pollution problem than a beauty one.

But if you think that it's all about floating debris, think again. Studies show that feeding sea cucumbers along with range of organisms including mussels, barnacles, and tiny crustaceans do ingest these plastic particles. A further study by Lisa S. Fendall and Mary A. Sewell in 2009 from the School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, entitled 'Contributing to marine pollution by washing your face: Microplastics in facial cleansers' backs up this claim. "There is a high likelihood that once ingested by organisms low in the food chain, microplastics will be accumulated in species of pelagic fish that are consumed by humans." The authors concluded that microplastics in facial cleansers are largely unnecessary, and may result in long-term impacts to the marine environment. Good news then that
Unilever announced last year
to phase out the use of these plastics by 2015.

Help is on hand for making ocean-smart choices. In 2012, not content with the thought of more waste making its way to the ocean, two Dutch NGOs - the North Sea Foundation and the Plastic Soup Foundation - launched a smartphone app as part of their 'Beat the Microbead' campaign. In the summer of 2013, the United Nations Environment Programme and the UK based NGO Fauna & Flora International partnered with these foundations to further develop the app for international use. So now you can scan your personal care products in store to check for the presence of plastic microbeads before you buy.

Long term, a clever solution may be on the horizon. Investment is being sought for the manufacturing of biodegradable plastic made out of agriculture waste. Swedish firm AnoxKaldnes who has developed the technology to convert green waste into 'bioplastics', hopes a factory will open as early as 2014 in Groningen.

In the meantime download the app and for ocean's sake, scrutinize your scrub choice.